How Olivia Nelson-Ododa Is Using Fashion to Rewrite the Rules for Female Athletes

With her intimatewear label Kayelise, the WNBA star is blending sport, style and storytelling—and proving that athletes can be creative directors, too.

Olivia Nelson-Ododa / Courtesy of Kayelise

We’re spotlighting inspiring female founders who are making waves in their industries. Female Founder Fridays is all about celebrating their stories—how they built their brands, the challenges they’ve overcome and the lessons they’ve learned along the way.

Fashion has become the new frontier for female athletes, and Olivia Nelson-Ododa is stepping into it with intention. The WNBA forward debuted her lingerie brand, Kayelise, during Paris Fashion Week, with purpose stitched into every detail. Inspired by her late grandmother, whose battle with ovarian cancer shaped much of her family’s story, the launch honors her roots, challenges norms and redefines what it means to be a woman in sports.

Olivia Nelson-Ododa / Courtesy of Kayelise

And today, on National Lingerie Day, it feels fitting to shine a spotlight on the company—and the 24-year-old visionary bringing it to life.

Officially launching Kayelise on one of fashion’s most prestigious runways marked a defining moment for the young brand. “Cancer doesn’t respect borders. The conversations we need to have about women’s health are universal,” the founder tells SI Swimsuit. In a full-circle moment, her former UConn teammate and close friend Nika Mühl, now cementing her own place in the fashion world, walked in the show, turning the debut into both a mission-driven statement and a celebration of sisterhood.

A standout at UConn and now a rising star for the Connecticut Sun, Nelson-Ododa has built her career on discipline, resilience and presence—qualities that seamlessly translate into her design work.

Her first collection features teal tones and soft, sculptural silhouettes that highlight reproductive health struggles while celebrating strength and vulnerability. “This collection really is my heart on display,” she says. “I wanted to represent the feminine form while also bringing awareness to a cause that [my grandmother] and so many other women struggle with.”

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As she continues her WNBA career, Nelson-Ododa is also stepping confidently into her role as a creative force, bridging sport and style, advocacy and ownership.

Sign up to shop the upcoming drop at kayeliseofficial.com.

More than lingerie: how Kayelise honors legacy and sparks conversation

Nelson-Ododa didn’t grow up imagining a future in fashion, but when the idea for Kayelise began to take shape, she knew it had to stand for something more than aesthetics. Inspired by her late grandmother’s legacy, she approached the brand’s first collection, Herenia, with purpose and precision, grounding every design decision in personal memory and lived experience.

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She was intentional about translating that vision into tangible design—not through abstract motifs, but through color, silhouette and structure. Teal, the collection’s signature hue, serves as a visual call to action for ovarian cancer awareness. The pieces are crafted to celebrate both physical power and emotional resilience—an homage to the women who shaped her.

“I’d love to see more celebration of our individual journeys through fashion. Every player has a story—where they came from, what they’ve overcome, what matters to them,” she adds. “Going forward, I want to be seen as a bridge-builder in fashion. Between athletics and design, between purpose and style, between accessibility and aspiration.”

While launching a lingerie line as a pro athlete might seem unexpected, Nelson-Ododa sees no contradiction—only alignment. Kayelise isn’t a departure from who she is; it’s an extension of her values, and a new medium for storytelling. For women who’ve rarely seen themselves reflected in fashion, it’s a long-overdue invitation to feel powerful and heard.

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Bridging the pay gap through fashion

It’s no secret that playing in the WNBA doesn’t always provide the long-term financial security that male athletes in leagues like the NBA often enjoy—and this disparity exists across most professional sports. For many women, financial stability comes from endorsement deals, overseas contracts or entrepreneurial ventures. For Nelson-Ododa, fashion became that pathway, not just as a form of self-expression, but as a strategic move.

“What’s powerful is how it’s happening on our own terms,” she says. “We’re not just being dressed by brands—we’re creating our own lines like KAYELISE, we’re becoming creative directors, we’re investing in companies that align with our values.”

That sense of ownership is key. It allows athletes to control their narratives, extend their influence beyond the court, and begin building generational wealth. Launching Kayelise has never been about chasing trends, it was about claiming space in an industry that has historically overlooked women with bodies like hers and stories like hers.

Still, the leap from athlete to entrepreneur hasn’t been seamless. The same drive and adaptability she brings to the court have proven essential off of it. “Resilience might be the biggest one,” she says. “On court, you miss shots, you lose games—you have to bounce back. My first Kayelise concepts were complete misses.”

Olivia Nelson-Ododa / Courtesy of Kayelise

But in trusting her instincts and leading with intention, Nelson-Ododa has built more than a brand—she’s crafted a blueprint for what’s possible when athletes take control of their own narratives.

Why the WNBA is having a cultural breakthrough

For years, WNBA players have brought grit, versatility and leadership to the court. Now, they’re bringing that same energy to society through fashion. What once felt like a side note to the sport has become a centerpiece: tunnel walks are now moments of unfiltered personality, and fans are paying attention.

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“It’s been incredible watching this shift happen,” Nelson-Ododa says. “The WNBA’s moment isn’t just about what’s happening on the court, and fashion has become such a natural part of the story.”

Unlike other leagues where tunnel looks often feel polished and brand-curated, WNBA fashion stands out for its individuality. Players mix streetwear with high fashion, vintage with custom, activism with aesthetics—and it never feels performative. “You know what makes WNBA tunnel fashion so special? It’s completely unfiltered self-expression,” she says. “There’s this beautiful rawness to it that you just don’t see elsewhere.”

That rawness is more than just for visual impact, it’s practical. For many athletes, getting dressed isn’t as simple as pulling something off a rack. “Our bodies don’t always fit traditional fashion proportions,” Nelson-Ododa candidly explains. “And we’re constantly moving between professional settings, casual environments, and athletic spaces.”

Designing—and wearing—pieces that reflect those realities is part necessity, part creative expression. It’s also deeply connective. The tunnel has become one of the most personal places for athletes to speak directly to fans—no press release, no post-game interview, just pure presence. “I think fans connect with that authenticity—they’re seeing us as complete people with interests and personalities, not just athletes.”

That authenticity reflects a larger cultural shift: women’s sports are gaining long-overdue visibility, and the WNBA is leading the charge. The league is seeing unprecedented growth—the 2024 WNBA Draft drew a record-breaking 2.45 million viewers on ESPN, making it the most-watched in history. Across the 2023 season, viewership on ABC, ESPN and CBS averaged 505,000 viewers per game, the highest in over two decades.

As the league continues to dominate timelines and social feeds, players like Nelson-Ododa are shaping both the visibility of the moment and the style that defines it. “I hope the fashion world comes to see KAYELISE as proof that meaningful storytelling and commercial viability can coexist,” she shares.

Female Founder Q&A

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?

Lead with purpose, not perfection. The most powerful thing you can do is show up with intention, even if everything isn’t figured out yet.

What do you wish you knew before starting your brand?

That building a brand is more about listening than creating. I wish I knew how emotional it would be to share something so personal, how complex the business side would be, and that authenticity matters more than perfection.

What was your “I made it” moment?

Being on the FaceTime call as Nika held the phone on the runway and I got to wave to the crowd after the fashion show.

Nika Mühl walks during Paris Fashion Week for KAYELISE. / Courtesy of Kayelise

What has been the most unexpected challenge of running your business?

Balancing the pace of fashion with my basketball schedule. Both never stop, and finding a rhythm between both worlds is harder than expected.

What’s your favorite memory from starting the brand?

My very first time debuting the Herenia robe in the tunnel walk during the WNBA season. That was an incredibly special moment for me—to finally show the world what we had been working on for so long.

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